Tea
by Deathangel113
Summary: The suggestion caused old feelings to resurface.


**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

_Author's Note: Dedicated to and written for my dear sister Saki Hana. Happy Birthday._

* * *

The glass of butterbeer before him was half-empty. For some it would be half full, but for him it was half-empty. The negative outlook was more then likely caused by his feelings as of late. It had been ten years now. Ten long years of beating himself over his own failures, ten long years of thinking of what ifs. That burden had become heavier in the past two weeks. He sighed heavily and lifted the glass to his lips. His face scrunched into a disgusted look for a brief moment before it faded. The butterbeer was all right, but he would have preferred to be drinking fire whiskey.

He wasn't though, he had deprived himself of the drink to go back, to return to one of his school haunts. Hogsmeade had not changed much. On this day there were no students from Hogwarts, only village residents and visitors like him gathered in the small building. There were stories being exchanged, talks of recent news. Every now and then he would hear the name Harry Potter and then He Who Must Not Be Named. The sound of those names and his stomach would clench for a few brief seconds before he was able to breathe again and the sickness past. He set a few coins onto the counter and turned around in his seat. The mirror caught his attention and he would have ignored it if not for the face that he saw. He looked again, the other's reflection on the silver surface. Glancing around the interior of the small building, he did not see the face to which the reflection belonged.

~ * ~ * ~

Diagon Alley. He wandered the busy streets, wondering why he had returned. After what he had seen at Hogsmeade, the old feelings that had resurfaced as a result, he had left rather quickly and had suddenly found himself here. The area did provide an adequate distraction though.

There were a few greetings cast to him, which he only nodded to. He avoided conversation, not wanting to talk to anyone since there was no need to. Most, who had greeted him though, did not talk for they were swept away by the crowd and the business that brought them to the alley.

He caught sight of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The obnoxious storefront was the same as when he had first seen. Through the window he caught sight of the surviving Weasley twin George before customers hid the man from sight. He was still surprised that the store had not been closed. It seemed only natural that it would be since the other owner had died, but it seemed that the jokes could not end. As he walked down another street, he wondered when the store would close, just as he always did whenever he saw the shop. He glanced at the other shops that he passed, ones that had closed with Voldemort's return, but had reopened in the years that followed. It was strange how life continued, forgetting the past as if it were nothing more then a bug that had been swatted away.

"Blaise."

Stopping, he turned to face the owner of the voice that he knew all to well. Draco Malfoy walked towards him. His old friend had changed in the twelve years that had passed since he last saw him. He looked more like his father now, but still possessed the same attractiveness that belonged only to Draco. "Hey," he greeted when he stopped. "It's been a while Draco."

"It has."

His gray eyes swept over his form before settling on his face. He felt the all too familiar tickle that traveled up his spine whenever the man looked at him. "How have you been?"

"Fine." Draco frowned, appearing annoyed. "You have not answered my letters."

"Yeah, I've been busy. Bloody job has me doing everything."

"For twelve years?"

He didn't have an answer to the question, at least not one that he was willing to vocalize, so he shrugged. His gray eyes turned away from him and he felt a slight change, emptiness now that he was no longer under the other's gaze.

"Astoria has gone to visit her sister. We should have… tea sometime."

The words were all too familiar. His heart seemed to beat faster as he recalled the time that those words had first been said to him. It seemed so long ago now, but those very words had changed his life, had changed what he wanted in life. "Tea, sure," he said, trying to keep his voice it's normal tone, but it still possessed a breathless edge.

"I'll see you tonight then, mate." Draco left, leaving him no time to respond.

He stared after him. When he saw the small smirk on Draco's lips when he glanced back at him, he felt the familiar knot in his stomach and couldn't help smiling back. The night would not come soon enough.


End file.
